Noncompetitive Coaching
You have 12-16 players on your team and you need to coach them all to throw, field, bat and run. Some kids will throw the ball behind them, some will come up to the plate facing the backstop, some will just watch a ground ball go by. As a coach, you should know that this will happen. Those kids, the ones who’ll do that, are as important as the ones who have a head start with their understanding of baseball. Since there’s no winning, you can take all the time your players need to be coached. Be patient, be prepared, do not judge, teach them every position, and let them play the game.
Be Patient
Rounding up a bunch of 6-9 year olds who have a ton of pent up energy from being in school all day will be challenging. But not impossible. And definitely possible with some patience and preparation.
Before every practice, remind yourself to be patient. It can be that easy. If you’re a new coach, it could be overwhelming to watch your players do everything but baseball on the field. So take it slow. Coach them. If all you do for an hour and a half is teach them which direction to bat in, then that’s what it had to take for your players to understand it. Great job (good effort)! And then do it again the following week.
If it seems like your players aren’t listening or focusing, then take your time to get their attention. You might find that the first practice is less about baseball instruction and more about covering your expectations for them when they’re on the field.
Be Prepared
Young players will take advantage of every moment you’re scratching your head wondering what to do next.
Come to practice early and with a practice plan. I like to sketch it out and go over it with my assistant coaches the day before (or even 10 minutes before) so they’re on board with all the field prep and changes that need to happen throughout the day. Creating small groups allows the kids more reps while keeping them engaged for longer periods of time. Keep in mind overall practice time, meetings, warmups, time for instruction, water breaks and rotations. From this list you can see how without a plan time can quickly get away from you.
Don’t be discouraged if you plan doesn’t turn out the way you imagined. As the seasons progresses and if you happen to get a team of sharp listeners, the practices will become a lot more smooth and your plan will give everyone something to do. If you’re prepared, then everything you want to practice is there for you.
Do. Not. Judge.
Whatever your young players do, be encouraging. Always point out that one good thing then add what they can work on. Work on your teaching moments by guiding them and following it up with more encouragement. Encouragement is helpful because it makes them like what they’re doing, learning and wanting to do more next week and even next year.
Judging them sours their outlook on baseball, removes joy from the game and makes them want to stay home. The way 6-9 year olds play is no indication of how they’ll do in the sport later in life. In fact there are plenty of stories of professional players who didn’t get into their stride until their Jr., Sr. year of high school (and beyond!). So if you make this as fun as possible while teaching the game and creating cultures, you’ll get these kids to love baseball forever.
When you feel yourself becoming overwhelmed on the field, take a moment. Have a drill in your back pocket that you can call out when you need a moment to yourself. Or rely on your assistant coaches to take over. It’s best for you to get your mind in the mode of being patient so that the kids can play and learn and have fun.
Teach Every Position
Can’t throw? Can’t catch? No problem! They will learn, and if you put them at 1B or 3B or P, they’ll love it and the game! Young players are in the act of developing into experienced players and it’ll be the positions they play that they’ll remember the most.
One key piece of advice I heard was to group a set of infielders with similar throwing/catching abilities. This will get your novice throwing 3B or SS throwing dribblers to your novice catching 1B.
Coach them how to pitch. Doing this also teaches them the fundamentals of throwing. Throwing is key to fielding so teaching them how to pitch is teaching them how to field. Make pitching practice a part of the routine in the beginning of the season. Then you can switch from pitching practice to using the throwing warmup as a means to make sure they are getting the fundamentals down. All you’ll have to do is walk up and down the line and make sure they’re using your techniques.
Let Them Play The Game
When it comes to game time, let the players play! This is what they’ve been waiting for all week! They know what they want to do, they might not do it the right way, but no amount of “coaching” will make the day any more fun for them. Point them to their positions, make sure they’re maintaining their lineup, and root!!!
But do take note and use the game as a way to guide your next practice. It’ll be a great source of inspiration.
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